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Inaugural new banks seminar
New Bank Start-up Unit
22 March 2016
NBSU Seminar
Welcome and agenda
New Bank Seminar Agenda
• Introduction to the New Bank Start-up Unit
• How to become a bank
• Becoming a bank in the UK
• Closing remarks
The New Bank Start-up Unit
Barriers to entry Building on our work from 2013…
New Bank Start-up Unit Productivity report
We hope the New Bank Start-up Unit will deliver:
• Clarity - we will be clearer both about the authorisation
process and our expectations.
• Continuity - we will try to smooth the transition to being a
supervised firm; and
• Support - we will try to help new banks establish themselves
in the market.
New Bank Start-up Unit Outcomes
The New Bank Start-up Unit offers:
• dedicated points of contact – telephone and email;
• new jointly branded accessible and user friendly website;
• named authorisation case officer from both regulators;
• structured handover to supervisory colleagues;
• early years support from supervisory teams; and
• targeted communications for new banks.
New Bank Start-up Unit What does the NBSU offer?
New Bank Start-up Unit What happens next…?
It is very early in the life of the Unit but we hope to:
• run more engagement focused on new banks
in the future;
• develop the content on the Unit’s website; and
• continue to look for opportunities to improve the authorisation
process.
How to become a bank
Key stages to becoming a bank with particular focus on:
• what you should think about before you contact us;
• the key factors we will be looking at, including;
the evolution of your Business Plan
mobilisation
Sterling Monetary Framework
what’s different for international banks
• what we expect from you and what you can expect from us.
How to become a bank Session overview
Five key stages The end-to-end process
Thinking about
becoming a bank?
Early stages
Is it for you?
• Before you contact us think about whether you really need to
become a bank
• There are potentially simpler and less costly alternatives
which might be more suitable.
If it is, ask yourself:
• What will your bank do and how will it do it?
• Do you need to undertake any other regulated activities?
• Do you need to go through the authorisation process?
Early stages Thinking about becoming a bank?
The word ‘bank’
• You cannot call yourself a bank unless you are one.
• You can begin the process as Example Ltd but only when
you are authorised can you use Example Bank Ltd.
Payment systems:
• Consider the options for accessing payment systems as
early as possible.
• Banks must have access to payments systems.
Early stages Things to think about…
Business Models
• We are open to new and innovative business models.
FinTech
• We are open to firms leveraging new technology.
• We regularly attend industry events and meet with finTech
firms.
With any business model and technology platform firms
should demonstrate their viability and sustainability.
Early stages Innovation
What do you need to do
to get started?
Pre-application
Pre-application What do you need to do to get started?
Our experience tells us:
• that meeting prospective new banks before they submit their
application can be highly beneficial for both parties.
Structured formal meetings will help you:
• understand the process and what happens at each stage;
• understand our expectations and Threshold Conditions;
• identify any concerns early on so that you can decide if you
want to take your application further; and
• submit as complete an application as possible.
Pre-application Pre-application meetings
The first formal meeting. It provides an opportunity for you to
discuss your plan and ask us questions about the authorisation
process. We will provide written feedback which you should
incorporate as you develop your Business Plan.
Held after you have submitted your updated Business Plan. We
will again provide feedback which you will be expected to address
in your Business Plan.
We may arrange this optional meeting if you are going to take the
mobilisation route and/or your proposed business is particularly
dependent on IT or outsourcing arrangements.
The last formal meeting held just before you submit your application
where we will provide detailed challenge on the content of your
near-final Business Plan. You will be expected to incorporate
feedback from the Challenge session into your application.
We would expect you to be able to provide high-level
answers to the following :
• How will your bank make money?
• What products will you offer and how and who will you offer
them to?
• Who will run the bank and how will they do it?
• How will the bank be funded?
• What systems will your bank need and who will operate them?
• What will you do in-house and what will you outsource?
Pre-application From the Initial meeting…
Your Business Plan is key and we will need to
understand how you will make money and be
confident of the viability and sustainability of your
business before we can authorise your bank.
But it is an evolutionary process, where you set the
pace.
Pre-application The evolution of your Business Plan
Business Plan should set out, in detail, your:
• Business model
• Governance arrangements
• Customer journey
• Risk management framework
• Capital and liquidity
• IT and operations
• Recovery plans and resolution plans
Pre-application To submitting your application
What happens when you
apply?
Application
Application What happens when you apply?
Submit your application to the PRA:
• Two printed copies of all of the application documents.
• Two electronic copies on memory stick, DVD, etc.
• Application fee of £25,000.
We will then:
• review your application including whether it is complete or not;
• write to you within eight weeks with the results of this initial assessment;
• arrange a formal monthly catch-up call with you; and
• arrange any interviews or visits.
Application What happens when you apply?
What is completeness?
• Have you provided all of the required application forms, fully and
correctly completed?
• Is the information provided of sufficient quality and detail,
incorporating our feedback, to allow us to complete our
assessment?
Why does it matter?
• Complete applications – 6 month statutory deadline.
• Incomplete applications – 12 month statutory deadline.
• All applications – 6 month voluntary deadline.
Application What do we look for – business model?
Viability and sustainability
• How does the firm make money?
• Where will the firm be in five years?
• How does the firm achieve growth and what are the implications of that?
Products
• What will be offered?
• How will they be offered?
Market
• Who will be your customers?
• Who will be your competitors?
Application What do we look for – risks and compliance?
Risks Controls
IT and operations
What are the key risks
for your firm?
Credit
Market
IT and
operations
Conduct
• How do you seek to
control your risks?
• What will your
compliance and
audit functions look
like?
• How will you build
your systems?
• What will be
outsourced?
Application What do we look for – governance?
Board and executive
• Skills – relevant banking experience and independence
• Background and suitability for roles
Structure
• Committees and reporting lines
Senior Managers Regime and interviews
• We will interview key individuals from the board and executive
Owners and controllers
• Influence on the firm
Application What do we look for – capital and liquidity
The PRA will make a decision on the minimum regulatory requirement
for capital and liquidity
Capital
• Firms will need to raise adequate capital in advance of being authorised.
• Firms should look carefully at their Pillar 2A add-ons.
• Wind-down costs can be used to set Pillar 2B.
Liquidity
• Overall Liquidity Adequacy Requirement (OLAR).
• Possible outflows of deposits.
• Composition of High Quality Liquid Asset buffer.
Information on these topics is available on the NBSU website
Application What do we look for – recovery and resolution
Recovery plan
• A firm’s recovery planning forms a key part of our assessment of a firm’s risk
management procedures.
• Early warning indicators and triggers.
• Management actions.
• Internal Capital Adequacy Assessment Process (ICAAP) and Internal Liquidity
Adequacy Assessment Process (ILAAP) will cover stresses and recovery plans.
• Reverse stress test – what breaks the bank?
Resolvability
• To authorise a bank we must consider it resolvable.
• Business continuity plans that limit the impact on customers.
Application What happens when you apply?
How long will it take?
• We try to assess all applications within six months but this is not guaranteed
if your application is incomplete.
• You can help by responding promptly and comprehensively to our queries.
The decision
• Both regulators will make a decision independently.
• The PRA will make the final decision BUT it may only authorise a new bank
with the FCA’s consent.
• If the FCA does not provide its consent, the bank will not be authorised.
Sterling Monetary
Framework (SMF)
SMF
Sterling Monetary Framework Overview
The Bank’s operations in the sterling money markets have two
objectives in support of monetary policy and financial stability:
• implement the Monetary Policy Committee's decisions in order to
meet the inflation target; and
• reduce the cost of disruption to the liquidity and payment services
supplied by banks to the UK economy.
Eligibility
• Banks, building societies, broker-dealers (PRA-regulated) and
Central Counterparties (EMIR authorised) are eligible to apply for
access to the SMF facilities.
Sterling Monetary Framework Facilities
Facility Description
Reserves account • ‘Current account’ at the Bank
• Safe liquid asset (eg for Liquid Asset Buffer)
• Current remuneration: Bank Rate
Operational Standing Facilities (OSFs) • Overnight borrowing (and deposit) facility
• To manage unexpected payment shocks
• Secured against Level A collateral
Open Market Operations (OMO): Indexed Long
Term Repo (ILTR) [Short-term OMOs not offered whilst reserves averaging is
suspended]
• Monthly auction; six month maturity
• Support regular/predictable liquidity need
• All eligible collateral accepted
Discount Window Facility (DWF) • Bilateral liquidity insurance (all collateral)
• Manage firm-specific liquidity shock
• Liquidity upgrade to gilts or cash
Funding for Lending Scheme (FLS) • Incentivise lending to the real economy
• DWF access is a prerequisite
• Scheme closes in January 2018
• New banks (authorised 01/04/13 on) can apply
Build your bank with
confidence
Mobilisation
What is mobilisation?
• Introduced in 2013 as one of the original proposals from our Barriers to
Entry report. Sometimes referred to as Authorisation with Restriction
(AWR).
• The new bank is authorised at an earlier stage to help with securing
further investment, recruiting staff, investing in IT systems, committing to
third-party suppliers, etc.
• But we limit the amount of business the new bank can undertake until it is
fully operational, to typically aggregate deposits of £50,000.
• Mobilisation is not required, nor is it necessarily suitable for all banks and
we cap the mobilisation period at 12 months.
Mobilisation Build your bank with confidence
How is this different?
• The key difference is that the new bank is authorised at an earlier
stage and will appear on the Financial Services Register.
• You will be an authorised bank, but with a limit on the business
you can undertake until you are fully operational.
• The regulatory requirements for banks that take the mobilisation
route are not lower. The same standards will need to be met
before you become fully operational regardless of the route taken.
Mobilisation How is this different?
Mobilisation What do you need to have done before?
What you and we do while you mobilise:
• You continue to build-out your bank – remember the
12 month time limit.
• You tell us how you are doing, submit what we ask to see and let us know
if there are changes, issues or problems.
• We will monitor your progress and continue our assessment against
Threshold Conditions.
• You must adhere to the requirement limiting the business you can
undertake.
• Some regulatory reporting is required.
Remember you are an authorised firm and you must continue to meet
our standards.
Mobilisation Build your bank with confidence
What you need to have done to exit mobilisation:
• Finished building the bank and have everything in place, tested and ready.
• Submit a Variation of Permission (VoP) application to remove the
requirement that restricts the business the bank can undertake.
• We will conduct a final review and then (if all is well) approve your VoP
application.
• Please allow time in your plans for us to finalise our review (c. six weeks)
and complete our signoff processes.
• As with authorisation the application to exit mobilisation requires approval
from both regulators.
Mobilisation Build your bank with confidence
What you can expect
from us and us from you?
Expectations
Expectations What you can expect from us and us from you?
You We
Will address or incorporate any feedback provided by us into
your Business Plan before moving to the next stage.
Will aim to have the minimum number of meetings with you
during the pre-application stage.
Will develop your plans, complete the necessary work,
prepare and send materials in good time for meetings with us.
Will assess the material you submit in a timely manner.
Will be open, honest and co-operate with us. Will be open, honest and give clear feedback on your
proposals.
Will provide all information that you think we should be aware
of.
Will not provide a consultancy service. You should engage
others if you need this.
Will ensure key individuals at your firm who will drive the
proposition forward are involved throughout the process and
attend the pre-application meetings.
Both regulators will be involved in the pre-application process
and will ensure it is as seamless as possible.
What’s different?
International banks
International banks What’s different?
• Type of entity:
– Subsidiaries
– Branches
• Mobilisation
What is a subsidiary?
• A subsidiary is a separate legal entity, authorised by the PRA
and regulated by the PRA and the FCA.
Which regulatory requirements apply to subsidiaries?
• A subsidiary must meet Threshold Conditions at all times.
• The FCA’s conduct of business rules apply.
International banks Subsidiaries
What is a branch?
• A branch is a place of business which forms a legally
dependent part of a bank; it is not a separate legal entity.
• A branch is not separately capitalised.
• A branch does not have its own board.
International banks Branches
Non-EEA branches
• The whole firm must meet Threshold Conditions at all times.
• The FCA’s conduct of business rules apply.
• New non-EEA branches must focus on wholesale banking
and at a level that is not critical to the UK economy.
International banks Branches
Is mobilisation suitable for an international bank?
• Mobilisation is not usually suitable for existing international banks.
• A UK subsidiary or branch of a well-established international firm is
likely to be able to utilise its parent’s existing IT systems and other
infrastructure and can call on their parent for financial resources.
• However, we will consider the use of the mobilisation route on a
case-by-case basis.
International banks Mobilisation
After authorisation
The main topics for discussion:
• Being supervised by the PRA
• Being supervised by the FCA
• Regulatory returns
• What’s different for international banks?
After authorisation Session overview
Being supervised by the
PRA
After authorisation
The main topics:
• Key PRA supervisory focus areas
• Regulatory returns
• Technical Analysis and Supervisory Support (TASS)
• ‘Deep dive’ on governance – data analytics
After authorisation Being supervised by the PRA
In considering the viability and
suitability of the business model, the
PRA will look at:
1. Capital
2. Liquidity
3. Governance
4. Credit
5. IT and operational resilience
6. Recovery
After authorisation Being supervised by the PRA
How do we supervise?
• Regular on-site visits
• Annual business model analysis
• Monthly phone calls
• Regulatory returns and management information
(MI)
• Supervisory Review and Evaluation
Process (SREP)
• Board effectiveness review
• Internal panels (Periodic Summary Meeting
(PSM))
• Supervisory colleges (JRAD, FCA)
• Deep dives and thematic peer analysis
After authorisation Being supervised by the PRA
We are committed to reviewing
capital (C-SREP) on an annual
basis for the first five years:
• Firm visit
• ICAAP review
• PSM
• Letter
After authorisation Supervisory review and evaluation process
Capital stack
• Pillar 1, 2a and 2b
• PRA Buffer, Capital Conservation Buffer, (Countercyclical
Buffer)
• New bank approach to setting buffers: wind down costs
Other Considerations
• Leverage ratio
• Minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities
(MREL)
After authorisation Capital
Many of the issues faced by firms
during the financial crisis can be
traced back to failures in governance.
• The Senior Managers Regime
The PRA will assess several
aspects of a firm’s governance:
• How does the board operate and how
effective are the committees?
• What does the MI look like?
• Design v effectiveness
After authorisation Governance
How you manage the bank as it grows is a key consideration. We will
want to understand the impact rapid growth could have on the bank and
we expect appropriate resources to be in place before growth:
• Governance and risk management
Staffing levels and governance structure should reflect the size of the
firm, its business model and risks
• What are the implications for financial stability?
Are you developing a large market share in one particular product or
region?
Critical economic functions
MREL
After authorisation Impact of growth
Regulatory returns
After authorisation
• GABRIEL
• Frequency and Proportionality
• Importance of quality – used by
Financial Policy Committee, the
Monetary Policy Committee and by
supervisors to make firm specific
judgements
• MI, annual reports and Pillar 3
disclosures are also incorporated
in our analysis
• The NBSU helpline is available
After authorisation Regulatory returns
In addition to regulatory returns, supervision looks at other sources of
information as well:
• Annual accounts
• Board MI
These sources inform our deep dive thematic pieces of analyses, which
are conducted each quarter on one of the six supervisory modules (on a
rolling basis) to provide a top-down view of risks impacting firms.
After authorisation ‘Deep dive’ thematic analyses
Recently conducted a thematic on governance* to align
with the implementation of the Seniors Managers Regime.
Thematic provided a unique insight on the design and
effectiveness of firm’s boards
After authorisation An example: governance thematic
* Thematic based on a governance questionnaire that supervisors were asked to complete.
• The PRA expects boards to have the
capacity to explore key business issues
rigorously; part of this is having in place
the right number of executive directors
(ED) and non-executive directors (NED).
• The size of boards of firms vary between
4 and 16 board members.
• Important that there are clear structures
of accountability and delegation of
responsibilities for individuals and board
sub-committees.
After authorisation Governance thematic: key findings
Is there the right structure and balance of responsibilities between the
board and its sub-committees in place ahead of growth?
• The PRA believes that the board should
have a mix and balance of skills so that
collectively it can understand the
breadth of the business.
• Boards of new banks have the most
diverse boards in terms of professional
background; links to their forward
business strategy.
• Other banks have a greater proportion
of board members with banking
experience.
After authorisation Governance thematic: key findings
Does board members’ collective expertise fit the firm’s current business
mix and forward strategy, allowing for appropriate challenge?
• Board size and structure – Does the board have the capacity to explore key
business issues rigorously?
• NED/iNED split – Have you got this ratio correct? Is your AuditCo Chair
independent?
• Board experience – Do you have a mix and balance of skills to collectively
understand the business? Do you have succession plans in place?
• Tenure – Can you satisfy yourself that individuals remain independent after a long
tenure?
• Diversity – How diverse is your board? How does this influence decision making
processes and effectiveness of actions?
… and finally …
• Regulatory return accuracy and quality
After authorisation Governance thematic: key takeaways
Being supervised by the
FCA
After authorisation
The FCA has three operational objectives which are:
• Consumer protection
• Market integrity
• Effective competition
Firms need to be alert
and mindful to current
and future regulatory
changes
After authorisation What to expect from FCA supervision
Areas we focus on include:
• Treatment of customers and interaction with markets
• Financial crime and anti-money laundering
• Understanding of business model
• Governance and culture
• Systems and controls
• Risk framework
1. Integrity A firm must conduct its business with integrity.
2. Skill, care and diligence A firm must conduct its business with due skill, care and diligence.
3. Management and control A firm must take reasonable care to organise and control its affairs responsibly and effectively, with adequate risk management
systems.
4. Financial prudence A firm must maintain adequate financial resources.
5. Market conduct A firm must observe proper standards of market conduct.
6. Customers’ interests A firm must pay due regard to the interests of its customers and treat them fairly.
7. Communications with clients A firm must pay due regard to the information needs of its clients, and communicate information to them in a way which is clear, fair
and not misleading.
8. Conflicts of interest A firm must manage conflicts of interest fairly, both between itself and its customers and between a customer and another client.
9. Customers: relationships of
trust
A firm must take reasonable care to ensure the suitability of its advice and discretionary decisions for any customer who is entitled to
rely upon its judgment.
10. Clients’ assets A firm must arrange adequate protection for clients’ assets when it is responsible for them.
11. Relations with regulators A firm must deal with its regulators in an open and cooperative way, and must disclose to the appropriate regulator appropriately
anything relating to the firm of which that regulator would reasonably expect notice.
After authorisation FCA Principles for Businesses
Strategy focused on FCA and sector priorities
Market-based reviews
Communication and education programmes
Event-driven, reactive supervision
Principle 11: A firm must deal with its regulators in an open and cooperative way, and must disclose to the
appropriate regulator appropriately anything relating to the firm of which that regulator would reasonably
expect notice.
After authorisation FCA supervision of smaller banks
• Our supervisory approach recognises that newly authorised banks often
require more support in the early years.
• With this in mind, from 20 January 2016, newly authorised retail and
wholesale banks moving from Authorisation to Supervision are part of the
NBSU for the first two years.
• Additional engagement specifically for new banks includes:
Access to the New Bank Start-up Unit telephone line who will act as your
day-to-day contact
An introductory meeting with Authorisations and
Supervision
Subsequent catch-up meetings with Supervision
as required
After authorisation Being a new small bank within the FCA
International banks
After authorisation
What is different for international banks?
• The core elements are the same – authorised firms must
meet Threshold Conditions at all times.
• Supervisory engagement will be based on the type of legal
entity (subsidiary vs branch) and our assessment of the
bank’s potential impact on UK financial stability.
• For subsidiaries of overseas firms, the PRA has full powers
and responsibilities and so our approach is to treat such
firms equivalently to UK-owned banks.
After authorisation International banks
What is different for branches?
• Home State Supervisor of the branch is fully responsible for
the prudential supervision of the whole firm.
• Branches do not submit COREP returns, instead they are
required to submit six-monthly Branch Returns and whole-
firm liquidity data.
• Branches do not hold capital, do not have local boards and
do not maintain recovery plans or resolution plans.
After authorisation International banks
Closing remarks
• The New Bank Start-up Unit is an important landmark in
reducing the barriers to entry in Britain’s banking sector.
– Preparation, engagement and smooth the process
– Open to innovation: new business models and technology
• Your feedback is important to us.
• Take advantage of the resources available on our website
and through the dedicated points of contact.
Closing remarks
Useful resources
New Bank Start-up Unit www.bankofengland.co.uk/pra/nbsu/Pages/default.aspx
020 3461 8100
Downloadable Guide
Review of requirements for firms entering into or expanding in the banking sector
(Barriers to Entry review)
PRA www.bankofengland.co.uk/pra/Pages/default.aspx
FCA www.fca.org.uk
Useful resources
Useful resources
Financial Services Register https://register.fca.org.uk
Payment Systems Regulator www.bankofengland.co.uk/about/Pages/complaints/default.aspx
Payments UK www.accesstopaymentsystems.co.uk
PRA Rulebook www.prarulebook.co.uk
FCA Handbook www.fca.org.uk/handbook
Sterling Monetary Framework
www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/Pages/money/default.aspx
www.bankofengland.co.uk/markets/Documents/sterlingoperations/summaryops.pdf
Useful resources